The media may have wanted to ask about the status of quarterback JT Daniels. However, head coach Kirby Smart was having none of it.

Daniels’ availability for Saturday’s game against No. 8 Arkansas was a late-week topic of conversation due to a Grade-1 lat injury.

Although Stetson Bennett revealed he knew since Monday he was getting the start, Smart told ESPN’s Holly Rowe on Thursday that his status would be a game-time decision. When pressed on the issue, Smart made it clear this was a subject he didn't particularly care to discuss.

“I mean, do your research on a lat injury. It’s one of the largest muscles on the body. It can be strained, it can be stretched, it can be torn,” Smart said. “Dak Prescott went through this injury, and Dak’s was more extreme, we think, than we think JT’s is. But JT’s is a Grade 1 sprain, and we think we’ll be able to get him back. But we don’t know when.”

To his credit, Bennett did exactly what he was asked to do.

Although he threw one pass in the first half that could have been an interception, Bennett executed Georgia’s run game to perfection.

The Bulldogs took advantage of Arkansas’ “umbrella” defense by rushing for a season-high 273 yards. Bennett only attempted 11 passes, completing 7 for 72 yards.

“I know you all don’t believe what I say. I know you all say, ‘Oh that’s just coach-speak.’ We have confidence in our quarterbacks. I have a lot of confidence in Carson Beck. Brock Vandagriff goes in front of me every day,” Smart said. “I’m very pleased with the quarterbacks we have. It’s unfortunate that JT can’t go, because it’s not like we’ve done anything to make it worse; if anything, he’s had a lot of time off. We don’t know if the oblique compounded the lat—they’re two separate injuries. But it flared up on him, and it’s a painful injury. Hopefully, we’re going to get him back from it"

Smart continued.

“I can’t explain it any more than that. But I’m not losing any sleep over it, because it’s beyond our control. And Stetson Bennett is a really good quarterback. I keep saying that, and people don’t believe us. But he’s a really good quarterback.”

Daniels’ absence was expected after UGASport broke the news on Friday that Bennett would be starting.

Any hopes that Daniels, who practiced sparingly during the week, would find a last-second, pre-game miracle were extinguished quickly on Saturday morning.

During early warmups, Daniels came out with the other quarterbacks but went back to the locker room long before the session was complete. Pregame warmups saw Daniels work with the third team, behind Bennett and Beck.

It was the second missed game for Daniels, who missed the home opener against UAB, and only played the first quarter last week at Vanderbilt.

Smart bristled when asked how close Daniels was to being able to play.

"Why is this the conversation? I mean, was it close at all? He couldn't play. He couldn't go out and effectively lead the team and play. To do that, you don't need to have a strained lat. Now could he have gone out there and handed off the ball? Possibly,” Smart said. “But guys, you're missing the window. Y'all are making the story all about that. The story should be about these fans. The story should be about these players that go out there and lay it on the line and play and play their butts off. And I'm so proud of our offensive line, our tight ends, our receivers who didn't get a ton of catches, and blocked their butt off and the defense and the special teams unit. Make it about that, guys. JT is going to be OK. Make it about what matters."

Bennett shrugged that getting the start was no big deal.

“I knew I was the starter the whole week,” Bennett said. “JT had something going on with him. Yeah, I’ve known since Monday.”

Bennett said the offense knew this would be a different game than any the Bulldogs have played to date.

“With the defense they run, they drop eight every play,” Bennett said. “They played a 3-double cloud. They try to make it hard to throw the football. We knew, the offensive line knew, the backs knew, the tight ends knew, the wide receivers knew—their job this week was to run the ball, and that’s what we did.”

Bottom line, Georgia got the job done and did exactly what it wanted to do with Bennett at quarterback.

As for the immediate future, time will tell.

“I’ll already tell you now (Daniels is) a game-day decision next week, so go ahead and write that,” scoffed Smart, who did not bite on a question whether or not Georgia has a higher ceiling with Daniels at quarterback.

“That's probably not a fair question, because you're asking to make a comparison or an opinion. We have a lot of confidence in both of them. I think the outside perception is that one guy is way better than the other. I think both of them are really good. I'm proud of both of them. I'm so glad they've handled it the right way. JT is frustrated. He wants to play quarterback, and he doesn't get to when he has an injury. Stetson just goes out and does his job. He wants to be there to help the team. I don't think ceilings, I think growth.”